Eh, i posted it at the black library forums but it may be more appropriate here ;)

------------Demine XI------------

Oh how the gods were fickle...

Aspiring sorcerer Azhep screamed as he was hauled to his feet, his robes charred and body in extreme pain, it was a miracle the man was not dead yet.

"A curse on you mangy dogs, may the lord of change find you worthy of his gifts" the man screamed before getting a punch to the gut. On either side of him two massive space marines of the Space Wolves chapter...

"Be quiet Wyrd, and count your blessings that you still live" one of the two growled.

Together the group made their way to the sacrificial chamber Azhep had set up during his time on Dermine. Littered around the room were the remains of his coven, numerous pieces of armour once belonging to the ghostly warriors of the Thousand Sons.

They had been so close! The coven had spent the last year slowly poisoning the worldís aristocracy, bribing officials, and slowly gaining control of the planet. No one should have known they were here, no one!

And yet here he was the planet under mass imperial attack and the superhuman servants of the corpse bringing his lifeís work to ruin.

"This is him?" a voice called out, Azhep blinked as his eyes focused on the figure. It was a woman, seeming to be about thirty. She had long raven black hair that hung loosely down her back over the carapace armour she wore. On her left shoulder the mark of the Inquisition was emblazed.

"Aye, we found him in the back cowering in the dirt.Ē one of the wolves replied. The woman moved closer taking his head in her hand and examining it.

He spit on her

The response a painful kick to the groin and a fist to the side of his head. He knew the Astarteís were showing restraint otherwise the blows would have killed him instantly.

"Interesting, no signs of augmentation whatsoever..." The woman calmly continued, wiping the spit but otherwise unfazed.

"Whatís your name?" she asked

"Azhep of the ninefol-"

"No no, whatís you true name, not the name you stole from you master... Youíre obviously not from Prospero" she interrupted

"Azhep of-" this time the sorcerer was interrupted by the sound of a powers word chopping of his leg. For the next few minutes he screamed in agony. The woman stared at him for a moment before saying something into her earpiece.

A moment passed, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Looking up he saw two other Astarteís approaching, one wearing a suit of terminator armour decorated with primitive fetishes and small totems, a rune priest.

But it was the other one who interested Azhep the most; he wore a suit of bright red power armour trimmed in white. Robes hung loosely from the pauldrons and on his helmet a massive crest rose up similar to that of his now dead followers.

"By the great changer... What have you found?Ē Azhep rasped... A warrior of Prospero, an original thousand son... At the end of the battle for Prospero Magnus saved his legion, however the spell he used to send to safety also scattered some through space and time... Occasionally a marine would be found.

"How, where? Ah" Azhep suddenly got a better view of the warrior. While he wore the symbols and colors of the legion there were important differences. The purity seals, an Aquila embossed on the chest plate, but what stood out the most was the helmet. It had no eye slits...

"Well if you wonít tell me tell him. Name and place of birth..." the woman asked again...

Azhep laughed... "He is no son of Prospero, heís a pet, a thing on a leash," despite the taunt the marine didnít move an inch... "I spit at you traitor, you betray us all, betray Prospero, betray Mag-" Azhep never finished as he was flung in the air and slammed against the wall, he could feel the power of the warp coursing through the warrior...

"So you are Raptora then, most amusing..." around the space marine Azhep saw the Space Wolves eye the Thousand Son warily however a stern look from both the Rune Priest and Inquisitor stopped them...

"Tell me did they tell you what these barbarians did to Prospero? How she was destroyed, Tizca's libraries burned her shining towers toppled?" he continued, no longer noticing the pain...

"Be quiet" the marine spoke, his voice somehow familiar to Azhep, "I am aware of the destruction visited upon Prospero and I weep for the needless loss, however the legion deserved it, they dabbled in forbidden arts and defied the will of the Emperor. Your Magnus is a traitor to the Imperium, his arrogance his ultimate failing."

"Youíre Magnus? You speak as if he is not your gene-sire. What have they done to you?"

"He is not my sire, my sire is a proud son of the Emperor, and he has done so much to preserve the Imperium following the heresy..." the marine growled...

"So you are a son of Guilliman? An oh so nobl-" Azhep screamed as a fireball fried his right arm off...

"Never, ever, say Iím a son of that traitor!"

"Unless you want to die I suggest you do as I said and tell us your real name" the woman asked again... The marine was already advancing on Azhep, in his right hand he held a large menacing heqa staff...

"My real name?" the sorcerer rasped "Jalheed Onuris, I was born on Kelphus V and was abducted by my former master Azhep of the Thousand Sons" looking up he saw that the marine was trembling before it turned to face the woman...

"You.... You knew didnít you? It wasnít enough that I would have to face one of my legion but you had to make it personal..." it growled, the surrounding Space Wolves raised their bolters but once again the Rune priest and Inquisitor stood them down...

"Of course I did, this was supposed to be more than a simple slaughter of traitors. It had to be meaningful. Normally I'd simply have you face your primarch but since Magnus rarely leaves the Eye and after the fiasco on Armageddon I had to take a different approach. Besides it not like this galaxy can have two of you running around" the woman replied smugly,

"I suppose not" turning the marine regarded the dying sorcerer..."Traitor, heretic" he spoke the words with venom "Before I kill you have you anything to say?" again the Heqa staff was in his hand, Onuris looked up seeing the marine towering over him...

"Who... Are you?" he asked, coughing up blood in the process...

"You donít have to answer that... Actually id rather you didnít." The woman called out but the marines ignore her. Reaching up he removed his helmet and gazed into the traitors eyes. Despite the pain the sorcerer gasped in surprise.

"I am Captain Jalheed Onuris of the 16th fellowship; I was born on Kelphus V where I was then taken away by the black ships to Holy Terra. There I was deemed worthy to join the 15th legion. Five years ago Magnus himself made me a Captain." despite the absurdity of what the marine was saying the sorcerer believed him. Looking at him was like looking into a mirror, only one thing was different. The marine was blind...

No not blind. "Your soul bound..." the traitor said,

"Indeed I am" with that the marine brought the staff down and smashed the life out of the Sorcerer

jonplaywu - October 25, 2010 07:22 AM (GMT)

Very cool. I like the tie into the Dornian Heresy. Personally, I like the revisit of the timeline better than the original.

Jon

eFTy - October 25, 2010 03:30 PM (GMT)

Very nice story indeed.

You might wanna clean it up a little though. ;)

Hero of Istvaan - October 25, 2010 09:44 PM (GMT)

i like this little piece alot but im almost 100% certain ive read it before somewhere else ages ago :blink: